Steam & Excursion > Chessie Safety Express Cumb.,MD. to Pittsburgh,PA. 41 yrs ago OTD

On Sunday 9/21/80 My buddy Tom Luckey (TO:globalethanol) and I rode the Chessie Safety Express behind C&O 614 from Cumberland,MD. to Pittsburgh,PA on Sand Patch. This was a One Way Trip to Pittsburgh where we would be bussed back to Cumberland. The day before on Saturday we rode the Safety Express from Cumberland to Terra Alta,WV. over the Mountain Sub. That was also a very memorable Round Trip with 614 slugging it up 17 Mile Grade. Back to the Sunday trip up Sand Patch. Top 2 shots leaving Cumberland and passing "ND" Tower at Viaduct Jct.  Bottom shot passing the Heper Shanty at Hyndman,PA. This pair of Helpers would shadow us upgrade to the top on #2 Track in case we had any trouble.

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Top shot hitting the grade out of Hyndman. Middle shot coming into Fairhope. Bottom shot at Roddy's Sag near Philson,PA. with the Hyndman Helper following us up Sand Patch on #2 Track.

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Top 2 shots coming into Watch Box Curve at Mance and Mance Store in the middle of the Horseshoe with a healthy photo line. The weather had taken a turn for the worse as we reached the top at Sand Patch Tunnel and met an eastbound waiting at the East Portal. The 614 and crew put on another great performance climbing to the summit and maybe Ross  can give some commentary if he sees this.

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Top 2 shots are at the Photo Run By which was at Pinkerton,PA. Bottom shot looking back as we exited Shoo Fly Tunnel.

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Last 2 shots arriving in Pittsburgh at the B&O Grant Street Station  It had been a great weekend riding behind 614 on the B&O !.

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The 4th car on that train was an ex-Rio Grande, ex-D&H lightweight baggage RPO.  Anyone know whatever happened to that car?  It seems to have disappeared many years ago.

Thanks for sharing this first-rate set of images from your trip.
Bob

All winners.  An excellent series.  Thanks for your posting.
ALLEN

Thank you for all the great photos.  Those were the best of times to enjoy mainline steam trains and the Chessie Steam Safety Express was the best.  Wow, if we could only do it again.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Thanks for the great photos and wonderful memories. I was honored to be the hogger on both those trips and was very impressed with the 614's pulling ability and grit. We pulled maximum tonnage trains on both trips and we spent lots of time down to 9-12 mph with full throttle, in the corner, full booster, all sanders, rail washer hoping that the many flange lubricators would not cause us to slip badly enough to stall us. That fear meant that I had to run in the 3/4's standing up position so I'd be ready in an instant to shut the power down and open back up the mili second the slip stopped so as to minimize our loss of momentum. 

   The Saturday trip up 17 mile grade was the tougher of the two. IIRC we spent nearly 2 hours at 8-9 mph, always fearful that one bad slip would fininsh us. We made it both days without the need to use the dismals !!! 

    Heck of a strong locomotive and runs equally well at 80 mph.

    Ross Rowland 

Thanks Ross !  I remember seeing a photo of you from inside the cab in that lean back position hanging on to the throttle with both hands. I definitely remember how the 614 slugged it up 17-Mile Grade. You could feel the train surging on every piston stroke. I'll never forget the sounds of the exhaust echoing in the valley as we crawled up the Grade between Bond and Hitchcock Tunnel and the whisle show as we crested the summit at Altamont. Victory was yours !

Nice job, Rodney

tom

Thanks for the pics...

co614 Wrote:
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> Thanks for the great photos and wonderful
> memories. I was honored to be the hogger on both
> those trips and was very impressed with the 614's
> pulling ability and grit. We pulled maximum
> tonnage trains on both trips and we spent lots of
> time down to 9-12 mph with full throttle, in the
> corner, full booster, all sanders, rail washer
> hoping that the many flange lubricators would not
> cause us to slip badly enough to stall us. That
> fear meant that I had to run in the 3/4's standing
> up position so I'd be ready in an instant to shut
> the power down and open back up the mili second
> the slip stopped so as to minimize our loss of
> momentum. 
>
>    The Saturday trip up 17 mile grade was the
> tougher of the two. IIRC we spent nearly 2 hours
> at 8-9 mph, always fearful that one bad slip would
> fininsh us. We made it both days without the need
> to use the dismals !!! 
>
>     Heck of a strong locomotive and runs equally
> well at 80 mph.
>
>     Ross Rowland 

We don't agree on a lot it seems but I hope you can fire that one up again!